Governor



March 30, 1948. zlMMERMAN 2,438,734

GbvERNo Filed April 6 1946 .Z7yEJ7ZZ7z- FRANK A, Z/NMERMAN.

Patented Mar. 30, 1948 GOVERNOR Frank A. Zimmerman, Oak Park, 111.

Application April 6, 1946, Serial No. 660,177

4 Claims.

This invention relates to governors and more particularly to an improved governor of the type shown in Patent No. 1,889,706, granted November 29, 1932.

Specifically this invention deals with an improved governor adapted for regulating the speed of an internal combustion engine.

In an internal combustion engine, which burns a gaseous or vaporous fuel mixture in the combustion chamber, the speed is usually regulated by controlling the quantity of such mixture that is delivered to the combustion chamber. Consequently the maximum speed of the engine can be effectively limited by restricting the passage through which the fuel passes.

A conventional way of putting into practice this method of limiting the maximum speed of an engine is by use of a governor comprising a valve pivotally mounted in a housing. This housing is adapted to be positioned in the fuel delivery line between the carburetor and the intake manifold of an engine. The valve is responsive to the suction created in the intake manifold and is so arranged that it tends to close and restrict the passage as the suction increases with increasing engine speeds. An adjustable mechanical linkage means is provided to yieldingly resist the response of the valve to the suction of the engine until the engine reaches the desired maximum speed. At this speed the valve will so restrict the passageway that only that quantity of fuel required to maintain this maximum speed will be permitted to pass through.

In my invention I have provided a novel and improved means of varying the resistance of the mechanical linkage to the action of the valve. This improved regulating means permits the operator to select a maximum engine operating speed from a wide range of speeds. Moreover it provides a simple, readily accessible means of adjustment which is extremely accurate in maintaining the maximum speed setting.

For engine operation in the lower range of speeds it is desirable that the fuel passage be as free as possible of restrictions in order that the inrush of fuel to the combustion chamber be unimpeded for rapid acceleration to take upv additional loads. Inmy invention I have incorporated in the linkage improved means for adjusting the valve to that position which will permit the maximum passage of fuel at low speeds and still present a sufficient area to the suction pressure to effect the initial movement of the valve as speed is increased.

An object of my invention is to provide a governor structure of the type which may readily be inserted between the carburetor and the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine and which has improved adjusting means for varying the setting of the governor.

A further object is to provide a governor with a minimum of moving parts which is easy to install and adjust and which is accurate and dependable in operation.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a governor which will not in any way limit the power produced by the engine at any speed.

Another and further object of my invention is to provide a governor containing means for adjusting the angularity of the restricting valve at normal low engine speeds.

In accordance with the features of my invention there is provided a governor comprising a member, responsive to the suction in the intake manifold of an engine, together with improved adjustable means for yieldingly resisting the response of said member to the suction and which can be preset as desired.

An important feature of my invention resides in the provision of an adjustable block adapted to act on the yielding member of the linkage to vary its loading.

A further feature is the provision of an adjustable link to regulate the angularity of the valve in its housing.

A still further feature of my invention resides in the provision of a novel spring-loaded linkage mechanism to progressively resist the effect of the engine suction on the valve.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the following drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a governor embodying the features of myinvention, showing it applied to an intake manifold;

Figure 2 is a front view of the governor with the cover plate removed, showing in dotted lines the manifold valve in its open position for normal low speed operation;

Figure 3 is a front view similar to Figure 2 but showing the valve, in dotted lines, and the linkage in a restricting position; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line IV--IV of Figure 2, looking in a direction indicated by the arrows.

As shown on the drawings:

The governorof this invention comprises an oblong block In which is shaped to fit between the carburetor and the intake manifold of an engine. Openings ii, adapted to register with the holes in the usual flange connections of the carburetor outlet and the manifold inlet, are provided through the block Hi so that, the governor may be readily bolted in place.

The block it} has a vertical passage 12 therethrough for registering with the carburetor outlet passage and: the manifold inlet passage: As best seen' in Figur'el 1, the passagel2 in crosssection is substantially a circle to which has been added two corner pieces I3 and i4 and two rectangular slots I5. A shaft It extends across the passage i2 and is journaled at either end in the block H3.

Suspended in the passage 2 for pivotal movement about the shaft [6 is the suction responsive valve ll. As shown in Figure 2 in dotted line, a-

built-up hub section it acts as the bearing means onwhich the valve swings. A setscrew l8 secures the valve H to the shaft It to prevent lateral movement of the valve. The valve H is substantially of the same shape as the passage I2, with this exception. at right angles to'its pivotal axis is greater than the corresponding axis of the passage. Therefore, as illustrated in Figure 3, the valve will never completely close and cut off the fuel supply to the engine, since, even when the valve has reached its maximum closed position, there will still'be openings at the rear of the valve and around the sides. Also the auxiliary passages are never effected by the operation of the valve and they in themselves will. permit the passage of a limited quantity of fuel.

Referring to Figure .1, a housing. is disposed at right angles to the long axis of the oblong block ill and is connected thereto by meansof a strap'2l and abar22'. The shaft 15, being journaled in the block if! adjacentbar 22, extends through the barinto the housing 20. I

The adjustable control linkage which, acting through shaft l6, resists the action of the manifold suction on valve fl is mounted in housing 2-0. In Figure 2 the linkage is shown in a position in which the engine is' operating at normal speeds. A lever 24, having a cylindrical boss2'6 at one end, is secured, by means of a setscrew 25 through the boss 213; to the shaft iii-for pivoting movement therewith. At the other end the lever 26 omprises two cylindricalbosses 2'1 and 28, one on top of the other. The boss 28, being. of. smaller diameter, is ontop of boss 21 (Figure 4t).

Disposed around; boss 28 and resting on the top surface of boss 21, is an eyelet 29 of an'adjustable screw 35 of'link 3!. A pair oflinks 35 (Figure 4) is pivotally' connected to link 31 by means of pin 33. The links 35- are fastened. to a housing boss 36-by capscrew 3'! for pivotal movementv about said capscrew. 1 V

A rectangular boss 49 is provided at the top of the back wall 23 of the housing 20. One. end of a coiled spring 41 is anchored around a capscrew 42' in the boss 46, while the other end of a the capscrew 45 is loosened theblock M may be imoved to the rightor to the left against springlil.

' A cover plate 43, secured in place on the bosses inclines away from the intake manifold, as shown in Figure 2.

contracting action of spring 4! which, acting The axisof the valve I! 5| and 52 of housing 20 by capscrews 59, is provided to protect the linkage mechanism from damaging contacts and excessive dirt. The boss 5! also is adapted to act as an abutment for limiting the swing of links 35 pivoting in a countercrates as follows, In its normal position, as for instancewhen the engineis idling, the, valve II It is held in this position by the on link 3|, causes links 35 to be rotated counterclockwise about capscrew 31 until the links 35 V up a position in the passage l2 as dictated'by the amount the adjusting screw 3i] is advanced'in link 3|. The adjusting screw is a feature of my invention by means of which the suction V responsive valve I! may be adjusted to that'position which permits the maximum unrestricted flow of fluel at low or idling speeds and-still presents a sufficient area to the low suction pressure to effectithe initial movement of the valve as speed is 'increased.

As the suction pressure is increased due to'increased engine speed the valve moves toward maximum speed restricting position. In orderthat the resistance of the linkage be great enough to counteract the efiect of they suction pressure at pressure begins to act on the. valve, the lower end of spring 4| will be moved to the right: due tothe movement of the intermediate linkage. In this initial movement there is little or no force exerted on the spring, tending to expand the coils since the outer end of'the spring is merely traveling in an are about the capscrew 421 However, as the swingingcontinues, the en of the effective arc. of the-un'stretched spring is reached and the resistance. of'the coils toexpanding must be.overcome forfurther movement of the valve. Therefore it may be seen that, as the suction of the engine increases andtends to further swing the valve, the inclination of the spring a i, as shown in Figure 3,, and. the expansion thereof increases with a corresponding'increase in the resistance to the swingof'the valve. As the engine reaches its predetermined maximum speed, the resistance of spring 4! will increasingly tend to counterbalance the. valve movements and to hold the valve to maintain, thev proper passage for the desired maximum speed.

For any definite engine speed there is a critical setting of valve IT. at which further closure of the valve will decrease. theffiow of fuel to the engine and consequently throttle down the speed. The higher-the speed the greater the opening of the fuel passage must be at the critical setting since higher speeds require more fuel than lower speeds. However, the high .suction'pressuresat' high speeds tend to cause a morerestricted opening than do the suction pressures at low speeds. It is t erefore necessary that the resistance of the linkage increase more rapidly for a high maximum speed limit adjustment than for a low maximum limit, in order that the higher suction pressure may be absorbed by the time the critical valve setting is reached. However, the resistance of the linkage to the initial movement of the valve H from its non-restricting position still should remain substantially at a minimum to insure that the valve will begin to swing under the suction of the manifold pressure.

To accomplish this result I have provided a spring-tension adjusting block 44. By unscrewing the capscrew 45 the block 44 may be adjusted to the right or to the left. When moved to the left the shoe 44' of block 44 abuts the spring 4| and increases the resistance of the spring when it is deflected toward the right by the connected linkage. The further the shoe 44' is positioned to the left against spring 4| the greater will be the spring resistance which the suction pressure has to overcome after the initial movement of the valve Thus, by increasing the effective loading of the spring 4|, the high suction pressure of a high maximum speed setting can be absorbed and still cause the valve I1 to assume a less restrictive position in the fuel passage than it would for a low maximum speed setting.

This result is accomplished without destroying the pivoting action of the spring 4| which gives the very desirable effect of a gradual increasing resistance. Therefore, at all maximum speed settings, the increasing resistance of the linkage mechanism prevents abrupt movement of the valve to the maximum restricting position and permits the engine to be properly brought up to the desired speed before the movement of the valve is arrested.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have a simple and readily adjustable mechanism for varying the spring loading of the linkage and also for enabling adjustment of the linkage itself in accordance with predetermined desired conditions of engine effectiveness at given speeds.

It will, Of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a governor for controlling the valve in the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, a linkage for moving the valve, a fixed casing providing a spring anchor, a helical spring having one end secured to said anchor and the other end to said linkage, said anchor being disposed relative to the path of said linkage so that said spring is elongated and angularly shifted by movement of said linkage in one direction, and means adjustably mounted on said casing in the path of angular movement of said spring so as to be laterally contacted by said spring, whereby the resistance of said spring to the movement of said linkage in said direction may be selectively increased as a function of the position of said last mentioned means.

2. In a governor for controlling the butterfly valve in the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, a linkage for moving said valve, a fixed casing providing a spring anchor, a heli cal spring having one end secured to said anchor and the other end connected to said linkage, said anchor being disposed relative to the path of said linkage so that said spring is elongated and angularly shifted by movement of said linkage in one direction, a block slidably mounted on said casing imposition to be laterally contacted by said spring, and means for selectively securing said block to said casing in any one of a plurality of positions relative to said spring, whereby the loading of said spring is increased as a function of the position of said block.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein said linkage includes an adjustably extensible link for selectively varying the initial position of the valve relative to said spring.

4. In a governor of the type wherein the action of a pressure responsive valve positioned in the fuel path of an engine intake is resisted by a mechanical linkage, the combination of a coil spring connected to impart resistance to the linkage, said spring being constructed andarranged to be extended and angularly shifted by movement of the linkage in one direction, and a block adjustably positioned in the path of angular movement of said spring to be laterally contacted by said spring, whereby the maximum REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,889,706 Singer Nov. 29, 1932 2,170,744 Adler Aug. 22, 1939 2,209,374 Anderson July 30, 1940 

